Cincinnati Running Back Giovani Bernard On Clearing The "Rookie Wall"

Giovani Bernard was one of the most exciting rookie running backs in the NFL in 2013. He heads into his second season with the Cincinnati Bengals, and both he and his team are expected to have a strong year. The defending NFC North champions are looking to bring a title to the city of Cincinnati.

We caught up with Bernard during a photo shoot with Vita Coco.

AskMen (AM): You had a solid rookie season. How much better prepared are you for the NFL going into your second year?

Giovani Bernard (GB): I think the biggest thing for me now is that I have a better understanding of what to expect as far as things go and the scheduling. Your first year is a little crazy because you are preparing for the draft and don’t know where you will be playing. This year, I know my team, I know who my coaches are and I can focus on getting better every day and working with my teammates.

We have Hue Jackson now as our offensive coordinator, and I can’t really say too much about what we are going to be doing, but I’m really excited about the upcoming season.

AM: How would you describe Hue Jackson as a coach?

GB: Man, I don’t know if we have enough time to describe him. I have so much to say. He expects the best out of you no matter what. He understands the game and he understand what a player can do and their potential. I’ve learned a lot from him in the little time I’ve spent with him and he knows how to put players in the best position to succeed.

AM: What do you spend most of your time doing in the off season to get ready?

GB: I’ve just been training and working on my speed. I want to be faster, Everyone knows that the more speed you have the more of a threat you can be in the NFL. For me I have been working on my speed and being more explosive. Everyone knows I can get the 10- or 15-yard runs, but I want to have the 60- and 70-yard runs.

I’m expecting a lot from myself, I have set the bar high and I want to do really well for my teammates. I love working out and preparing so I have spent a lot of time doing that.

AM: You hear a lot about a rookie wall — did you feel that at all last year?

GB: I think for me that first season you don’t realize how long that NFL season is. It’s a long season, especially in your first year. Not only do you spend a lot of time preparing for the draft and working out, but they you have OTAs, minicamps, training camp, preseason games. By the time you get to week six you’ve already had one of the longest years of your football life and you still have 11 weeks to go, plus the playoffs. So I can see how people can hit a rookie wall physically and mentally. For me I felt like I did a good job to prepare my mind and body and I felt like I handled it well. At the end of the day you just have to want it and enjoy what you do. I love this game so I always enjoy the season.

AM: Coming in as a rookie, who were your biggest mentors on the team?

GB: BenJarvus Green-Ellis was great to me. He’s the type of person that you want to learn from because he understands the game and he’s been in the league for a while. He’s a great role model to a lot of guys on the team, including myself.

AM: What are your expectations for yourself and the team for 2014?

GB: Obviously as a team we want to do better than last year. We want to get back into the playoffs and win a game in the postseason. Our fans deserve it and we want it more than anything. I’m not one of those guys that focuses much on individual stats because my main goal is to be at my best physically and mentally. I want to contribute to the highest of my ability and be the best teammate. I’ll do whatever the team needs me to do. I just want to be better than last year and as a team we know what our goal is and we want to work hard to get there.